[2] When Geffen contacted McKee in the hope she would record the song, the singer dismissed the idea, but the label insisted they send her the demo tape for consideration.

"[6] A reviewer from Cashbox viewed the singer as the "lost goddess of the pop airwaves", remarking her "heartachingly lovely jewel of a voice [that] can squeeze diamonds out of the coal-black grooves of a record.

[8] Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger declared it as a "post-Madonna power ballad", adding that McKee "can belt, but she's most comfortable away from the chorus, giving "Show Me Heaven" a more tender and dynamic performance.

"[11] Gene Sandbloom from The Network Forty praised the singer's "tremendous voice and stage presence", naming the song "one of the most memorable ballads of the year."

He added, "Before you even get to the chorus, you know this is the kind of heart warming song that can't miss bringing in across the board demos come weekly music research time.

He stated that "Arena has the voice and attitude to match the bombast of McKee's performance, but she wisely opts for a slow and stylish ascension to the song's requisite thunderclap climax.

Her lush, gently crescendoing take on Maria McKee’s 1990 hit should impact Adult Contemporary stations like that giant spaceship in the previews of Independence Day.

"[57] James Masterton for Dotmusic felt that Arena's version "stays fairly faithful to the original, the powerful song suiting her voice quite well.

"[58] Pan-European magazine Music & Media described it as "soulful", noting that it "has a Whitney Houston style intro, but very soon Miss Arena makes it clear that her own voice is much warmer, a fact emphasised by the gospel harmonies of the background singers.